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Home Starter Packs / Essential Items Starter Packs

Home Starter Packs / Essential Items Starter Packs

Topic created on, Wednesday, July 5, 2017
, from London

We have had a number of proposals submitted through our Ideas Board for Home Starter Packs or Essential Items Starter Packs for people accessing accommodation. This has set us thinking about the issue.
There are three questions the Frontline Network is posing on this issue:
1) Do you think there is a need for Home Starter Packs / Essential Items Starter Packs?
2) What sorts of items do clients find most useful or frequently ask for / request?
3) Please could you let us know of any existing Home Starter Packs / Essential Items Starter Packs schemes - we are interested to find this out regardless of who provides them or how they are funded.
We look forward to your responses.

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Your Comments...

(Fundraising & Communications Manager),
from London
posted on: Monday, July 10, 2017I looked into some existing home starter packs and found a few some examples…
The Council for the Homeless Northern Ireland (CHNI) run a home starter scheme (for pack including a microwave, kettle, toaster, iron and ironing board, cutlery and crockery, cleaning equipment, towels, etc). Also, Centrepoint feature home essentials as a fundraising item so people can make a donation to ‘pay for’ kitchen items, such as kettle, toaster, cutlery.
There also seem to be a number of well established schemes in Scotland, run by Scottish Churches for Action. These are a bit different, as members of the public can donate second hand items to contribute to packs, as long as they are in good condition.
Another charity, Broxtowe Youth Homelessness (based in Nottingham), have a parcel scheme for young people aged between 16-25. Their packs include a whole range of items – from towels to bedding, iron, light bulbs – the list went on! However it looks like the projects are local or regional and only covers certain corners of the UK, so it would depend on you being near one of these areas to be able to receive the support.

(Director),
from Worksop
posted on: Tuesday, August 15, 2017I remember doing quite a bit of research on this about 18 or 19 years ago, when I worked in the homelessness dept at Redditch BC or was it when I was in South Oxfordshire??, and although it is all a bit hazy now, I think I put together a report and policy proposal in the hope that the Council would introduce these, but I then moved on to another Council so I don't know if the scheme was ever set up. I think there were a few localised schemes at that time, but with the subsequent budget cuts perhaps these schemes have all disappeared? Putting together basic packs is not really all that expensive, and it can be of great benefit to the person just moving into accommodation, so it could help local authorities to prevent homelessness, deal with homelessness i.e. provide support for homeless people, alleviate poverty inc' child poverty, as well as being great PR if reported correctly.

(supported accommodation manager),
from Bodmin
posted on: Tuesday, August 29, 2017Hi, Our organisation has "friends" groups which provide each one of our hostels with a small pot of cash. When we have a resident move on we provide them with good quality Microwave, toaster and kettle. Depending on the client and the flat some times we are able to put out an appeal to our friends groups and local community for some soft furnishings. Occasionally we have old sets of crockery or pots and pans that have been donated. These items have become more and more invaluable as councils restrict the items they will provide money for. We also use the vicars relief fund which has become very useful. ultimately we aim to provide as much as possible from as many different sources. The residents I have moved on have been very humbled by the generosity of charities like Vicars relief fund and good will from communities. the thought of some one being moved in to a new flat with little more than an arm chair and a single bed which is about all our council provides now does not sit easy with me. many thanks Andy